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UPSL Announces Central Conference Expansion with Kernow Storm FC

January 10, 2019 – Los Angeles – The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is pleased to welcome Kernow Storm FC as a new member starting with the 2019 Spring Season.

Based in Ellis County (Tex.), Storm FC will begin UPSL play in the Central Conference North Division, and is finalizing its venue options in compliance with UPSL's Minimum Standards.

United Premier Soccer League Central Conference Manager Matt Kahla said, "We are very excited to welcome Antony Penna and Storm FC to the UPSL. Kernow Storm FC has run a successful youth club for more than a decade and Penna and Co. are ready to take the next step. A true soccer powerhouse in the South Dallas area, Storm FC is going to do well in the UPSL's Central Conference and we look forward to seeing the club on the pitch soon."

Antony Penna, 42, is Director of Soccer Operations and Technical Director of Storm FC. A native of Cornwall, England, Penna began Storm FC in England and relocated the club across continents to begin operating as a youth academy that now features multiple boys and girls youth teams playing elite, competitive and recreational level soccer throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area.

Storm FC Director of Soccer Operations Antony Penna said, "Our youth club covers the I-20 corridor from the Ft. Worth/Arlington area to Dallas and south of the metro. Joining the UPSL will create a pathway to professional soccer for all players who graduate our club program or that return from college. This will give them somewhere they can play locally and give them a chance to further their soccer development and national exposure. It's going to be great for us to be a part of UPSL, a national league."

Storm FC men's amateur teams have participated in the Arlington (Tex.) Adult Soccer League, and Penna is planning the UPSL side in coordination with the return of several former Storm FC youth players from current collegiate commitments.

"There have been several clubs around the Dallas-Ft. Worth area that have been a apart of other leagues and that's not for us," Penna said. "We needed something for the returning college players as well as the players that are still in the area wanting to continue their soccer playing career and further develop from the club soccer experiences. Those players need to keep playing, too, before they get up to no good and end their soccer careers. And that's what we're looking for in being a part of the UPSL. This will give us the platform for those kids and our coaches to get to the next level."

Hector Ponce will serve as Head Coach. Ponce, 24, is a former Kernow Storm FC youth player and has transitioned from player to coach after his time on the field. Involved as a youth coach with the club's premier youth academy, City FC, Ponce has also coached in the North Texas Olympic Development Program and the University of North Texas Men's Club.

Storm FC Head Coach Hector Ponce said, "To climb the ranks within your childhood club and become a part of its push for the future is a great joy. Storm FC is in my blood, and hopefully I can repay the faith the club has in me by shaping a successful program."

A graduate of University of North Texas ('18) with a BS in Kinesiology, Ponce is currently pursuing a USSF 'C' Coaching License.

Storm FC soon will announce tryouts and its upcoming UPSL game schedule.

About Storm FC

Storm FC is an American Soccer club currently based in Red Oak, Tex., and a new member of the United Premier Soccer League. Storm FC will play in the UPSL's Central Conference.

Founded in 2004, Storm FC can participate in the qualifying rounds for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup through their affiliation and membership with the UPSL, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

The UPSL was formed in 2011 and currently includes more than 300 teams in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. UPSL is the fastest growing Pro Development League in the USA, with 400-plus teams targeted for 2019 Fall Season. Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated, and is responsible for maintaining either UPSL Pro Premier Division or Championship Division minimum standards.

UPSL teams are all eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the leagues affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

More information about UPSL can be found at www.upslsoccer.com or by following the league on Facebook (www.facebook.com/upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).